No. 11 VUL tops Rams in VUL/Centra Hill City Classic final

Bluefield College women’s basketball team fell in the final game of the VUL/Centra Hill City Classic to the USCAA 11th-ranked Dragons of VUL, 63-55, at the Lynchburg Armory Sunday evening.

Rudy Roediger

December 16, 2012

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Bluefield College women’s basketball team fell in the final game of the VUL/Centra Hill City Classic to the USCAA 11th-ranked Dragons of VUL, 63-55, at the Lynchburg Armory Sunday evening.

Bluefield (10-4) was led by Janee’ Simmons with 14 points and six rebounds while Ashley White added 10 points as the loan starters in double-figures. Sharonda Tate provided nine points and four rebounds from the bench as Bluefield won the bench scoring battle 17-11.

Virginia University of Lynchburg’s (8-6) Diamynde Daniel provided a game-high 14 rebounds and 11 points while Ebony Eillis scored a game-high 17 points and added eight rebounds. VUL won the rebounding battle 52-29 with five players hauling down at least seven boards.

For VUL the win extended their current winning streak to four games as they held their VUL/Centra Hill City Classic opponents to 49.5 points per game during the weekend.

The loss for Bluefield marked just their second loss in the last six contests and the fourth loss to a ranked opponent this season.

The opening half saw D.D. Porter put the hosts on the board first with a 3-point basket before back-to-back scores by the Rams Janee’ Simmons and Teqa McNeal gave Bluefield its first of four leads of the game.

Janee’ Simmons gave the Rams a three point lead when Ashley White found the Orangeburg, S.C., forward in the paint for an easy lay-up.

After trips to both ends of the floor were missed, Simmons collected one of her team-high six rebounds that allowed McNeal to give the Rams their largest lead of the half (11-5) with 13:23 left in the period.

Ebony Ellis picked Maryah Mazyck’s pocked and converted the fast break that started a 7-0 run for VUL that featured two steals and four fast break points for the hosts.

The Rams and Dragons traded a one point lead till the 11:12 mark when Ebony Mille converted in the paint for a 16-15 lead.

Virginia University of Lynchburg would build a 35-25 lead at the break when D.D. Porter converted one of her two charity attempts with six seconds left in the half.

The Rams would get as close as two points (56-54) with 1:32 remaining in the game when Celinda Arrington buried a 3-point shot but BC would get no closer as VUL built an eight point lead to pull out the 63-55 victory over the Rams who defeated them by 27 points (86-59) at the Dome Gymnasium on Dec. 4

Bluefield returns to action Jan. 3 when they return home for the first of a two-game home stand to open 2013 with a 6 p.m. tip against UVA-Wise. The Rams have 16 regular season contests remaining, eight home and eight away, all against Mid-South Conference opponents.